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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. face — part of the head
  5. prune — to trim
  6. staff — employees
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ball — a great time
  10. face — to confront
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cue — for pool
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cue — a signal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. face — to point toward
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wake — a trail
  20. staff — employees
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com